Ever wonder what makes a good wine great?

Before we go off talking about making wine great, let’s talk about making good wine. The greatness lies in the details.

It all begins with finding the perfect land that has the best soil and the best sun and wind exposure. After much deliberation and years of a thorough investigation by a panel of experts, we have chosen Zeway / Batu.

Getting back to the actual process of winemaking, as soon as the grapes ripen, their color changes, this stage is called Veraison. The red grapes change from green to red and the white grapes change from green to yellow. To analyze the sugar and acidity levels, for a balanced harvest, we first collect samples. Tasting on these samples or in the vineyard is another important part. The next step is crushing, and fortunately for us since all the plots are close to the cellar, the grapes do not need to be stored and are crushed as soon as they arrive.

The difference between the process for red wine and white wine mainly lies in the pressing process. As the color and aromas are contained in the skins, red wine goes through vinification with the skins still in the vats. As for white wine, it is pressed directly and the fermentation takes place without the grape skins in the vat.

Lowering the temperature, we prefer to slow down the process of fermentation, as more time will allow us to extract more color and aroma. As the fermentation progresses, the wine is analyzed and tasted every day to separate the skin not a day late for the intended wine type. For Acacia, supple and fruity wines, whereas more tannins and more evolved aromas are for Rift Valley. White wines and rosés take longer to ferment, as they are made to ferment in lower temperatures than reds in order to preserve fruitiness and volatile aromatics and characteristics.

Before we proceed to filtration, the wine is stored for 6 to 8 months for natural clarification to occur.

Aging Our Wines Most wines are in fact at their peak the day they are released. The same can be said for the fruity Acacia. However, a few great wines are produced, that age and improve with time and proper cellaring. Those are the likes of Rift Valley, the perfect fit for those who like aromatic wines. Rift Valley can be kept for a few years to be more powerful and have an even more mature aroma.

Serving Our Wines White wine and Rosé are best served chilled to lift delicate aromas and acidity and are best served between 10 to 12-degree celsius. And around 16 to 18 degrees for reds. Another way to better serve wine is to let it breathe a few hours before serving. This will expose the wine to air for a short time, allowing it to oxidize, helping soften flavors and release aromas in a way similar to swirling the wine in your glass.